FDOS Fact Sheet

The mission of the Department of State is to enhance the quality of life for every Floridian and its communities by preserving and promoting Florida’s rich historical and cultural heritage; by supporting our local libraries and providing access to information through our state library and archives; by ensuring fair and accurate elections; and by ensuring the integrity of Florida’s business community by recording entity creations and certain financial transactions. The Secretary of State serves as Florida’s Chief Cultural Officer, Chief Elections Officer, and is custodian of the official state seal and state records. The Florida Department of State is comprised of the Office of the Secretary and six divisions that carry out its programs, services and responsibilities:

Administrative Services is responsible for administrative and technology functions for the Department including budget, financial management, purchasing, Human Resources, facility and property management and web services.

The Division of Corporations serves as the state’s central repository for a number of commercial activities that include business entity filings, trade and service mark registrations, federal lien recordings, judgment lien filings, uniform commercial code financing statements, fictitious name registrations, notary commissions, and cable and video service franchises.

The Division of Cultural Affairs guides and facilitates cultural development and access to information and services for Florida’s citizens, artists, cultural organizations and visitors through public/private partnerships. The Division actively partners with national, regional and statewide arts organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts and Citizens for Florida Arts. The Division administers the Museum of Florida History, the state’s history museum and promotes arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all Floridians.

The Division of Elections provides statewide coordination and direction for the interpretation and enforcement of election laws. The Division handles all filing papers for state and multicounty candidates and various political committees, establishes and implements Florida’s voting systems certification standards and provides technical assistance to the county Supervisors of Elections on voting systems and manages list maintenance processes for identifying potentially ineligible voters and providing that information to county supervisors of elections for removal procedures.

The Division of Historical Resources promotes Florida’s role in regional, national and international history by identifying, preserving and protecting the historical, archaeological, and folk cultural resources of Florida. The Director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, overseeing the National Register of Historic Places program and State Historic Markers program. The Division manages Mission San Luis in Tallahassee, which was the 17th century capital of Spanish Florida, and is responsible for the state’s archaeological research, including the underwater archaeology program.

The Division of Library and Information Services is the designated information resource provider for the Florida Legislature and all state agencies. It coordinates and helps to fund activities of public libraries, provides a framework for statewide library initiatives, provides archival and records management services, and preserves, collects, and makes available the published and unpublished documentary history of the state.